God 39;s Tribesman Pdf

[Ara Kistner]

DrRochunga Pudaite, seen here with his wife Lalrimawa, passed away in a hospital in Colorado Springs. He was 87.(Bibles For The World)Christian evangelist Rochunga Pudaite, also lovingly called "God's tribesman," passed away in a hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Saturday. He was 87.

Pudaite had a life well-lived, having founded the organisation Bibles For the World, which brought the Bible to millions of people in the world, according to The Denver Post. Together with his wife Lalrimawi, they built around 92 Christian schools, a college, two junior colleges, as well as a hospital and research centre, all located in India.

"Dr. Ro was an inspiration to millions, and his life story and ministry work demonstrate how much one Christian can do when directed by the Lord," said Jeff McLinden, vice president of Bibles For The World. "Because of his efforts, millions of people around the world have been introduced to the message of the Bible, and they understand what it means to be true followers of Christ. Dr. Pudaite will be greatly missed."

Pudaite was born in the tribal village of Senvon in northeastern India back in 1927. His father was a Christian who raised Pudaite to love and honour God's word. After he studied college at Allahabad University in Allahabad, India and continued his schooling in Glasgow, Scotland, Pudaite became a minister.

"Dr. Ro was concerned for both the spiritual and physical needs of thousands of poor people in India," McLinden said. "And his ministry has touched the lives of tens, if not hundreds, of millions of people across the globe."

"I heard one yesterday I've been pondering. The man said that unless you believe in God you will be lost. So what about all those people who have never had the opportunity? I have him some answers but I'd be interested to hear what you think."

I've run into this one before too. The argument goes like this. If we claim that only those who believe in Jesus Christ can be saved from their sins, we are implicitly condemning everyone who never has heard the gospel (say, for instance, a tribesman in the remotest Amazon basin).

If that's the case, then God is being unfair. After all, those people never had a chance. They are unavoidably lost. As a result, we should conclude that people who have never heard the gospel are somehow saved, perhaps by being good people.

Although the argument has considerable appeal (who wants to think of the poor tribesman being lost without ever having heard of Jesus?), there are several problems with it. First, it doesn't account for our universal knowledge of God. As Paul says in Acts 17:26-27, God created us with an inherent impulse to seek Him. Man is an essentially religious animal, and though some may stifle their religious yearnings, they still exist. Similarly, Paul argues in Romans 1:19-20 and Acts 14:17 that God has given us plenty of evidence for His existence, both in the creation itself and in the gifts that He showers on everyone.

Everybody, then, has a yearning for God. Everybody has all the evidence they need to embark on a search for His will. What's more, an honest search for God will always succeed. "Seek, and you will find," Jesus says in Matthew 7:7.

I believe this is true for the Amazonian tribesman too. If he really wants to find God, God will make Himself available. Far be it from me to deny the awesome potential of providence in such a situation! If he doesn't want to find God, that's his fault, not God's.

Second, it doesn't account for our culpability for our own sin. Nobody is required to sin and be lost. We all choose to do so. It's true for us; it's true for the tribesman who (in the language of Romans 1) knows God but refuses to honor Him. We all have a moral sense, and we all violate that moral sense. As a result, the tribesman is no less guilty than we are.

In punishing guilty sinners, wherever they may be found, God isn't being unfair. Indeed, exactly the opposite is true. As Paul writes in Romans 2:9-11, "There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality." When someone who chooses to do evil receives the just punishment for that evil, they have nothing to complain about, regardless of where they live.

Similarly, when God allows us to hear the gospel, He isn't being just. He isn't giving us a fair shake. He's being merciful. He's giving us an opportunity that none of us even come close to deserving. If God is merciful to some and not to others, those who have not received mercy still can't complain. They had their opportunity to please God, and they blew it, not because anybody made them, but because they wanted to. No sinner is entitled to sympathy.

Third, this argument makes the gospel into the problem rather than the solution. To illustrate this, let's return to our hypothetical tribesman. He's being a "good person" in the way that so many people claim to be today, and because he hasn't heard the gospel, presumably, he's safe from condemnation.

However, if a missionary shows up and preaches the gospel to him, his chances of eternal life have diminished. He was 100 percent safe before he heard the word, but now, he's only going to be safe if he obeys it. Sadly, not all "good people" do obey. Indeed, many disobey because they trust in their own goodness. What's more, even if he does obey, he has to live as a faithful disciple of Jesus, which is considerably more difficult than being a "good person." In my experience, people tend to grade their own goodness on a curve.

If this is the nature of the gospel, rather than making sure that as many people hear it as possible, we ought to bury it as deeply as we can. What Paul said of the Law of Moses is also true of the word of Christ: though supposed to bring life, it brings only death. The best thing the human race could do would be to forget that Jesus ever existed. That way, we could all be safe in our sinful ignorance.

Instead, people who are not in these situations ask about them in order to provide justification for disobedience to the gospel in the situation they are in. The one who asks about tree accidents and deserts doesn't want to be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. The one who asks about the tribesman doesn't want to be saved at all. They offer these questions to provide intellectual cover for their hardheartedness.

The question should never be, "What about Random Imaginary Person?" The question should be, "What about me?" What, in my circumstances, must I do to make my life right with God? The Bible's answers to this question are not always easy, but they are always clear. God is calling. It's up to us to listen.

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The mighty Sepik River has existed since the dawn of time, twisting and turning, forming a wide belt of active meanders and fish populated great lakes, depositing vast amounts of fresh water into the ocean.

The banks of the river is adorned with Lianas, sago palms, and Pandanus

Who put it there, I do not have the faintest clue, all I know is that the river was placed there for my survival.

My father navigated this great river before me, and his father before him. I was brought into this magnificent world on the banks of the river, nature welcomed me with open arms for the river was calm that night, my first

bath was in the mighty Sepik. I cried when I was dipped into the river, my father held me and called for the spirits to protect me. He called upon the Sukundimi to watch over me so that no evil may befall me.

My early childhood and teenage years were spent on the river, like every young Sepik boy, I learned from the great men of Sepik to fish and hunt on the river, to revere the river, not only because it provides for me but for it is also a living entity. The river has sustained and ensured the survival of my people for centuries. They say the river holds memories, the history of my people is not written in ink on pages, the river is my history, the river holds the centuries-old history of my people. I read the river like the scrolls. Our culture and history is intertwined with the mighty river. The river and the river God gave us our unique culture and identity.

They gave my ancestors the inspiration to paint, to carve, and to build.

I went into the Haus Tambaran as a boy, I came out of the Haus Tambaran a man bearing the markings of the Pukpuk. I know the history of my people, I learned the intricate and complex cultures and traditions of my people, I am a Sukundimi tribesman. I am the protector of the river and my people.

Of Gods and men, the river is the link between the spiritual and physical world. The river is the gateway to the afterlife.

Where the Supreme Sukundimi glides through the water, fish multiply in numbers. Where the Supreme walks on the banks, the

sago palms spring forth. I am one with the river, she takes care of me and I take care of her.

But now, I see the foreigner with his foreign ways and lifestyle on the banks of the river, he wants me to forsake the Gods of

my fathers, to forsake the practices of my people.

Now I see the foreigner coming to look for minerals buried deep in the earth, he wants to dig it up and take it away.

He wants to dig at the head of the river. I know the destruction they will bring, I see my people living their simple lives unaware of the demise that awaits them.

What do I do?

I am the Sukundimi tribesman, I will protect the river. I will fight to ensure the survival of my river and the survival of my people, I know I do not fight alone, the Sukundimi walks before me. I have his strength. I have his razor sharp teeth, I will tear the flesh of my enemies. He is me and I am he.

I will fight with the spirit of my ancestors beside me. I have their knowledge and wisdom.

I will fight with my people behind me, they look to me for protection. I look to them for guidance.

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